Carton lock



y2 1963 E. c. SHERMAN ETAL 3,09

CARTON LOCK Filed Aug. 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mu. G H F.

N ..AE m MR E V msm mm mm AM E R V. B

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ATTORNEY y 1963 E. c. SHERMAN ETAL 3,

CARTON LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1961 INVENTORSZ EARLE C.SHERMAN y RAYMOND A. COTE ATTORNEY tates Unite The present invention relates to packages and relates in particular to :a mechanical lock for so-called wrap aroun packages.

In recent years it has become customary to package small, uniform articles such as cans, bottles and similar items in groups by arranging the articles in single or plural rows and encircling a definite number of articles with a wrapper characterized by a sheet of packaging material such as paper, plastic or a composite of paper and plastic board.

Group packaging in this fashion requires that the wrapper be drawn tightly about the articles because frequently retention of the articles within the package is a function of how tautly they are wrapped.

Tight wrapping requires strong wrapper material and a strong bond or lock between overlapped ends or margins of the wrapper encircling the articles. In addition, high speed machinery requires that the lock be efiected expeditiously preferably without a gluing operation.

Accordingly, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a novel mechanical lock for the wrapper of a wrap around carton.

it is a further feature of the invention to provide a lock device for a Wrap around carton wherein overlapping margins of the wrapper are mechanically locked together in at least two distinct places.

A carton wrapper for packaging a plurality of articles employing the locking features of the present invention may comprise a blank of board material having cooperating marginal portions defining a first or inner margin and an overlapping second or outer margin, said first margin being hinged to the wrapper and being formed with at least one opening and at least one hinged tuck flap, said second margin being hinged to the wrapper and having at least one cutout and at least one tongue, said tongue of said second margin being operative to engage and lock to the opening of the first margin while the tuck flap of the first margin is operative to engage and lock with the cut-out of the second margin whereby the blank is secured tautly about the articles.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from an examination of the succeeding specification when read in conjunction with the app ended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carton blank or a wrapper fabricated of paper board and employing the principles of the lock device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the blank of FIG. 1 tully locked and assembled into a package including six bottles;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show portions of the bottom of the carton of FIG. 2 in perspective, as viewed from the opposite end, and illustrating the details of the wrapper lock including the steps in locking the overlapping margins together.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, note that a blank or wrapper of paper board material B hinged at H terminates in margins 10 and 11, respectively. The margins are formed with cuts and scores to define structure operative to interlock in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter.

For convenience in claiming the invention, margin 10 will be referred to as the inner or first margin while margin 11 will be referred to as the second or outer margin.

The wrapper includes integral longitudinal partition 12, transverse partitions 13 and '14, side walls 16 and 17, and access flaps 18 and 19.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, inner margin 10 is formed with a hinged flap -21 rotatable about score line 22 to reveal an opening 23 bounded on one side by locking bar 24.

The flap 21 is formed with tuck flaps 26 and 27 hinged thereto and rotatable about score lines 28 and 29, respectively.

Outer margin 11 carries a hinged flap 31 rotatable about score line 32. The flap 31 is formed with locking tongues 33 and 34 and cut outs 36 and 37.

Locking of the blank or wrapper B is effected in the following fashion:

Side walls 16 and 17 are hauled downwardly about the articles A being packaged v(see FIG. 2) so that the wrapper is drawn tautly about the heads or necks of the articles.

Next the margins 10 and '11 are drawn inwardly to a position generally normal to side walls 16- and 17, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3.

Flaps 21 and 31 have been rotated downwardly to a position generally parallel to one another and generally normal to the plane of margins 10 and 1-1.

The fi-aps 21 and 31 are grasped by suitable mechanical means and are moved toward one another drawing side walls 16 and 17 inwardly against the articles A until tongues 33 and 34 overtake and override locking bar 24.

Tongues 33 and 34 are inserted into the opening 23 bounded by locking bar 24 with the result that margin 11 overlays margin 10 with tongues 33 and 34 projecting inwardly and with flap 31 generally normal to margins 10 and 11 as shown in FIG. 4.

With flap 21 remaining in a generally normal position relative to overlapped margins 10 and 11, flap 31 is rotated toward the package so that the flap is disposed generally coplanar with margins 10 and 11 as viewed in FIG. 5.

The foregoing description defines the structure and steps tor accomplishing a first lock between margins 10 and 11.

Next, flap 21 is rotated toward flap 31. Simultaneously tuck flaps 26 and 27 are rotated relative to flap 21 and the leading edges of the tuck flaps are started into mating cut-outs 36 and 37 formed in flap 31.

Next the flap 21 is rotated to a coplanar position relative to margins 10 and 11 while tuck flaps 26 and 27 are driven home to the position shown in FIG. 6.

If desired, the tuck flaps may be formed with a spear or barb-like configuration to block withdrawal of the tuck flaps in a well known fashion.

Thus, the second lock is established with the margins 10 and 11 and the carton lock of the present invention is completed.

it is to be particularly noted that in addition to providing a dual locking means between overlapping margins of the wrap around carton, the present invention also provides by means of flaps 21 and 31 convenient appendages which may be grasped mechanically for hauling the carton inwardly about the articles being packaged to achieve maximum tautness.

Although only two pairs of dual locks are disposed in the present embodiment of the invention, it is anticipated that certain package structures will be adequately secure with one pair of locks, while others may require three or more.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrap around carrier for containers including a pair of vertical side walls joined to a top wall, an inner margin joined to one of said side walls and extending generally normal thereto, an outer margin secured to the other side wall and extending generally normal thereto in overlapping relation with said inner margin, a first hinge flap cutout of said inner margin and folded normal thereto along a transverse hinge line to define an opening bounded along one edge by a locking bar, said first hinge flap being provided with -a tuck flap along a free edge thereof, said outer margin including a second hinge flap rotatably secured thereto along a transverse score line, said second hinge flap including locking tongue means integral therewith, said docking tongue means projecting toward said other side Wall and engageable with'said locking barwhen said second hinge flap is rotated into a posi tion generally normal to said outer margin, and cutouts in said second hinge flap adapted to accommodate said tuck fiap.

2. A double lock device for a carton having a pair of vertical side walls comprising, a first inner margin depending from one of said side walls and joined thereto along a transverse score line, said inner margin including a first hinge flap rotatable about atransverse score line to define an opening bounded on one side by a locking bar, said first hinge flap being rotatable into a position generally normal to said inner margin and being provided along its free edge with at least a single tuck flap, an outer margin adapted to overlap said inner margin and joined to the other vertical side wall along a transverse score line, said outer margin including a second hinge flap rotatably joined thereto along a transverse .score line, said second hinge flap including at least a single locking 4 tongue rotatable therewith into a position normal to said outer margin and adapted to engage with said locking bar, said second hinge flap being further provided with a cutout to accommodate said tuck flap when said first hinge flap is folded into overlapping relation with said second hinge tfiap.

3. A lock device for a carton having a pair of vertical sidewalls comprising, a first inner margin depending from one of said side walls and joined thereto along a transverse score line, said inner margin having a first hinged flap rotatable along a transverse score line toward a position normal to said inner margin to define an opening bounded on one side by a locking bar, said first hinged flap being provided along its free edge With a plurality of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,707 DEsposito May 23, 1944 2,398,797 Meyer Apr. 23, 1946 2,950,854 Ganz Aug. 30', 1960 2,990,997 Weiss July 4, 1961 

1. A WRAP AROUND CARRIER FOR CONTAINERS INCLUDING A PAIR OF VERTICAL SIDE WALLS JOINED TO A TOP WALL, AN INNER MARGIN JOINED TO ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMAL THERETO, AN OUTER MARGIN SECURED TO THE OTHER SIDE WALL AND EXTENDING GENERALLY NORMAL THERETO IN OVERLAPPING RELATION WITH SAID INNER MARGIN, A FIRST HINGE FLAP CUTOUT OF SAID INNER MARGIN AND FOLDED NORMAL THERETO ALONG A TRANSVERSE HINGE LINE TO DEFINE AN OPENING BOUNDED ALONG ONE EDGE BY A LOCKING BAR, SAID FIRST HINGE FLAP BEING PROVIDED WITH A TUCK FLAP ALONG A FREE EDGE THEREOF, SAID OUTER MARGIN INCLUDING A SECOND HINGE FLAP ROTATABLY SECURED THERETO ALONG A TRANSVERSE SCORE LINE, SAID SECOND HINGE FLAP INCLUDING LOCKING TONGUE MEANS INTEGRAL THEREWITH, SAID LOCKING TONGUE MEANS PROJECTING 